Question: $ E = \left[\begin{array}{rr}0 & -1 \\ -2 & 0\end{array}\right]$ $ C = \left[\begin{array}{rrr}4 & -1 & 2 \\ -1 & 4 & -1\end{array}\right]$ What is $ E C$ ?
Solution: Because $ E$ has dimensions $(2\times2)$ and $ C$ has dimensions $(2\times3)$ , the answer matrix will have dimensions $(2\times3)$ $ E C = \left[\begin{array}{rr}{0} & {-1} \\ {-2} & {0}\end{array}\right] \left[\begin{array}{rrr}{4} & \color{#DF0030}{-1} & \color{#9D38BD}{2} \\ {-1} & \color{#DF0030}{4} & \color{#9D38BD}{-1}\end{array}\right] = \left[\begin{array}{rrr}? & ? & ? \\ ? & ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ To find the element at any row $i$ , column $j$ of the answer matrix, multiply the elements in row $i$ of the first matrix, $ E$ , with the corresponding elements in column $j$ of the second matrix, $ C$ , and add the products together. So, to find the element at row 1, column 1 of the answer matrix, multiply the first element in ${\text{row }1}$ of $ E$ with the first element in ${\text{column }1}$ of $ C$ , then multiply the second element in ${\text{row }1}$ of $ E$ with the second element in ${\text{column }1}$ of $ C$ , and so on. Add the products together. $ \left[\begin{array}{rrr}{0}\cdot{4}+{-1}\cdot{-1} & ? & ? \\ ? & ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ Likewise, to find the element at row 2, column 1 of the answer matrix, multiply the elements in ${\text{row }2}$ of $ E$ with the corresponding elements in ${\text{column }1}$ of $ C$ and add the products together. $ \left[\begin{array}{rrr}{0}\cdot{4}+{-1}\cdot{-1} & ? & ? \\ {-2}\cdot{4}+{0}\cdot{-1} & ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ Likewise, to find the element at row 1, column 2 of the answer matrix, multiply the elements in ${\text{row }1}$ of $ E$ with the corresponding elements in $\color{#DF0030}{\text{column }2}$ of $ C$ and add the products together. $ \left[\begin{array}{rrr}{0}\cdot{4}+{-1}\cdot{-1} & {0}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{-1}+{-1}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{4} & ? \\ {-2}\cdot{4}+{0}\cdot{-1} & ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ Fill out the rest: $ \left[\begin{array}{rrr}{0}\cdot{4}+{-1}\cdot{-1} & {0}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{-1}+{-1}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{4} & {0}\cdot\color{#9D38BD}{2}+{-1}\cdot\color{#9D38BD}{-1} \\ {-2}\cdot{4}+{0}\cdot{-1} & {-2}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{-1}+{0}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{4} & {-2}\cdot\color{#9D38BD}{2}+{0}\cdot\color{#9D38BD}{-1}\end{array}\right] $ After simplifying, we end up with: $ \left[\begin{array}{rrr}1 & -4 & 1 \\ -8 & 2 & -4\end{array}\right] $